Eradicating Hepatitis C

Anna Lok, M.D., who has been studying viral hepatitis for 30 years, recently led a clinical trial that proved a combination of oral drugs can eradicate hepatitis C even in the most difficult to treat cases. The ability to treat the disease without interferon, an injectable drug that causes many side effects, creates a new paradigm. It allows patients like Claudia Dionne, pictured above, who had been hesitant to start treatment, to clear the virus, preventing the threat of liver failure and liver cancer. Hepatitis C is a global burden, and Dr. Lok is collaborating with colleagues at Peking University to make sure patients in China benefit from lessons learned in Western countries. She is also working with the World Health Organization to develop the first hepatitis C guidelines that will influence care worldwide.